MBTA uses Precast Concrete to upgrade maintenance facility
Given the history of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as one of the oldest railroads in the United States, it is not a surprise that their supporting facilities are in need of an upgrade. The term carhouse, refers back to the 1800’s when it was used as a maintenance and storage building for horse drawn carriages.
The MBTA spent almost $100 million on an expansion and improvement project at the Wellington Carhouse Maintenance facility adjacent to the Orange Line Station in Medford. Barletta Heavy Division won the contract which will ready the facility for the arrival of new Orange Line vehicles.
The addition of an enclosed service bay that faces the passenger platform of the Wellington station warranted appealing aesthetics. Architectural precast panels incorporate a light colored concrete mix with dark stone exposed through a medium sandblast finish. The precast concrete panels feature curved vertical reveals with a wide-ranging pattern across the facade.
Coreslab Structures (CONN) Inc. manufactured the high performance precast panels that support their own weight as well as an insulated metal panel for a total height of 34 feet. Both enclosure systems are connected to the structural steel frame.
The precast units were shipped from Coreslab’s manufacturing facility in Connecticut to the job site where they were installed with a crane. The fifty-two panels were erected in just a few days.
The Wellington Maintenance Facility construction project is one element of the Red Line/Orange Line Infrastructure Improvements Program. The project improvements include an expansion of the carhouse by one service bay to allow for the maintenance of an enlarged Orange Line fleet, rehabilitation and modernization of the existing lifts, cranes, wheel truing machinery, roof, MEP, and other updates, the addition of elevators and other accessibility accommodations, and a new electronics room for new vehicles. |